Windows XP & SATA RAID

[Impaled Hassan]

Hi All,

I'm trying to re-install xp as a clean boot, I had to disable my SATA
RAID-0 Array in order to actually be able to boot from the disc and
enter the blue screen setup.

Here's a bit of background info on my computer:

I use both IDE RAID and SATA RAID.

The IDE RAID is comprised of 3 40GB IDE Drives.

The SATA RAID is comprised of two 160GB SATA Drives.

I wish to install Windows XP onto the IDE RAID Array.

The IDE RAID is split into SEVEN partitions, one of which is a Linux
EXT3 partition.

I have installed Windows XP before with the SATA Drive connected with
no problems.

Both the IDE and SATA RAID Arrays use the nVidia RAID Controller,
software RAID.

If I leave the SATA RAID-0 Array connected the setup hangs after 'Setup
is detecting your hardware, please wait...'

I cannot wipe the sata drive as there is too much data to transfer.

If I disconnect the SATA drive and try and install windows xp the
partitions are all over the place with letter ranging from C: to K: and
although I have a general idea of which is which I'd rather not risk
it, I also want the drive I install on to be C:

My Disc is absolutely fine and has been tested to make sure.

I have installed XP cleanly before so I do to a certain extent know
what I am doing.

My System Specs Are:

Processor: AMD Opteron 148

Motherboard: MSI K8N Neo4-F

RAM: Crucial 512MB x2

GFX Card: x800GTO2

Monitor: Acer AL1916W 19" Widescreen (1440x900 Native Res.)

Hard Drives:
ARRAY 1 - IDE RAID-0 - 3x 40GB Seagate
ARRAY 2 - SATAI RAID-0 - 2x 160GB Seagate

Optical Drive: LG CD-RW Drive

So just to re-iterate, I am trying to find a solution to windows xp
hanging when my SATA-RAID-0 Array is connected, the array is reported
to be in perfect working order by the nvidia raid controller and indeed
is as I can see all of my data and access it without problem.

I hope someone may be able to help me, thankyou for your time.

Cheers,

// Hassan

 

[Rich Barry]

Have you hit F6 at beginning of Setup in order to install the IDE Raid
Drivers?

 

[Guest]

If youre IDE RAID set is configured before youre boot to xp cd,youre BIOS
is configured for RAID with the IDE set,when you boot to cd you need to use
the F6 option for drivers,but youre SATA drives needs to be physically un-
plugged.

 

[Impaled Hassan]

Hello, Thankyou both for your replies.

I have hit F6 and installed the drivers as I normally do when
installing windows xp. Since my motherboard is capable of both SATA
RAID and IDE RAID I have two sets of drivers One set is PATA which I
assume is for the IDE RAID and the other is SATA which is for the SATA
RAID. Windows only lets me load two of these drivers so I have always
loaded the PATA drivers as I install OSes on the IDE Array.

If I do this then when I reach the drive formatting screen I see a C:
drive but I also see my Windows XP Partition with a different drive
letter from C: (when it should be C.

I'll have a bit of a poke around and write some stuff down from the
screen which might help.

Thankyou for your help.

//Hassan

 

[Impaled Hassan]

Anyone?